CWD Testing Maps

What does KDWP do with the information collected with CWD samples?

When samples are collected for CWD testing, hunters are asked to provide their name, address, phone number, and hunting license number. This information is collected so the hunter can be contacted in case the animal he or she harvested tests positive for CWD.

Hunters are also asked to provide the location where they harvested their deer or elk. This is typically the distance (miles) and direction from the nearest town. This information is necessary to prepare a map to show how well an area has been sampled during surveillance. A general location also provides a point on a statewide map to show relative distribution of the disease. As a result, our disease investigators are able to know which areas have not been sufficiently surveyed and which areas have the disease, which allows for tracking the spread of the disease over time. CWD is a slow spreading disease when the infectious CWD prions are not moved from place to place by the actions of man. CWD only spreads a few miles per year through the natural movements of deer and elk.